Ulmer Wins 100th, Bearcats 4-0 During Week

Head Coach Darby Ulmer was unaware he was on the cusp of his 100th win as the Bearcat head coach when he filled out the lineup against Dardanelle last Monday.

He went with his sophomore son, Brandon, to start against the Sand Lizards in a game that is not a Conference 5 3A/4A game but is likely to have District 4A-4 tournament seeding implications.

After a rocky start that saw Tate Vestal hit a solo home run in the top of the first, Brandon Ulmer delivered, allowing three hits in an 8-1 win. He also doubled home a run in a six-run fourth for the Bearcats.

Darby Ulmer had compiled a 90-40 record over his first six years and the Bearcats were 9-4 coming into Monday’s game which would be the start of a perfect 4-0 week, that included wins over Waldron, Hackett and Ozark.

After Vestal’s home run in the first Ulmer walked Jordan Metcalf, one of only two passes issued.

Ulmer walked himself in the first inning, behind a single by Hayden Fennell, who was 4-for-4 on the day, and after an error allowed Brady Brasher to reach and load the bases Trent Wooldridge delivered a two run single to give the Bearcats the lead.

A walk to Michael Hesson loaded the bases by Elyas Carter got infield fly balls from Carson Ray and Gabe Fennell and got out of the trouble with a ground ball by Cam Brasher.

Ulmer allowed a single by Blake Chambers and walked Karson Spears but got Caynan Taylor to line out to Hesson in right in the second then settled into a groove setting down 10 of the next 11, interrupted only by an error in the fifth inning.

By then Ulmer (3-1) had an 8-1 lead.

Wyatt Rongey started the six run fourth with a single to left and Fennell’s sacrifice bunt died before reaching the foul line for a single. Ulmer doubled home a run, Brady Brasher singled home one Wooldridge drove in his third to make it 5-1 and Chase Carter.

Spears allowed a single to Hesson that got one home and another scored on a misplay. After getting an extra swing when a foul ball was dropped, Ray delivered a single to make it 8-1 before Spears sandwiched two strike outs around a line drive.

Hayden Fennell led off the home fifth with his fourth single. He was due to hit when the Bearcats were retired an inning later.

After Ulmer pitched around a leadoff double by Metcalf in the sixth, he was lifted for Gabe Fennell, who walked two but struck out two and induced Vestal to ground out to end it.

Bearcats 6 Waldron 1

On Tuesday Hayden Fennell threw a complete game for his third win of the year, allowing the Bulldogs only three hits while his teammates were pounding out five doubles.

Fennell walked only two and got 11 strike outs as well, completing the effort in just 94 pitches. Luke Reed threw a complete game for Waldron, using 93 pitches over six innings.

Cam Brasher hit the first of his two baggers in the second inning, scoring Blakeley Cobb and actually reached third when a throw to the cutoff man was errant.

The Bearcats then scored four times in the third to give Fennell (3-1) a cushion. Brandon Ulmer doubled with one down and Brady Brasher followed with one of his own to score Ulmer. After Trent Wooldridge singled, Michael Hesson double home two to make it 4-0 and a two out single by Cam Brasher drove in another run for a 5-0 lead.

A leadoff walk by Lukas Carnley would get the Bulldogs on the board in the fourth. Tyler Owens drove in the run with a ground ball.

The Bearcats left two aboard in their fourth and a Cam Brasher double did no damage in the fifth as it followed a double play, but the Bearcats pushed their lead back to five at 6-1 in the sixth on a Brady Brasher single.

Bearcats 14 Hackett 1

The Bearcats scored seven runs in their first two at bats and led 7-1 through five innings but erupted for seven more in the sixth to pound the Hornets 14-1.

Going 3-for-4, Trent Wooldridge had his second three RBI day of the week Thursday. He doubled home a run in a three run first and singled in another in the four run second that made it 7-0.

After a two out error prolonged the Hornet second they picked up against Michael Hesson (2-0).

Wooldridge’s second double of the day plated the first run in the sixth and he also threw his second inning of no-hit relief to wrap it up for the visitors.

Also posting two hit and two RBI days for the Bearcats were Brady Brasher and Carson Ray.

Bearcats 6 Ozark 1

Brady Brasher became the third Bearcat pitcher to pick up his third win — all doing so last week — cooling off a Hillbill club that had lost only twice. Brasher allowed just four hits. He walked three but struck out six and completed the effort in only 89 pitches. Brasher also drove in two runs.

Ozark’s Dakota Cowens matched Brasher in innings, and needed just 96 pitches himself, but the Bearcats got eight hits and picked up the win. Hayden Fennell and Trent Wooldridge had two hits each.

Trent Wooldridge, who has been on a tear, tripled home Ian Suttles, running for Brasher, in the fourth inning for the game’s first run. Wooldridge scored on a double by Michael Hesson to make it 2-0.

Ozark got a run back on a single by Josh Williams in the bottom of the fourth but that was as close as they would get because Brasher got A Hicks to hit into an inning ending double play with the bases loaded.

Brasher induced Reed to hit into another twin killing to end the fifth as well.

By then a Brandon Ulmer triple scored a run and Ulmer scored on a fly ball by Brasher to make it 4-1.

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